How things have changed from the 1960's to 2005!

Take a close look at these pictures from the 1960's of the Clifwood Motel at Little Falls, MN.  This was the typical motel that people expected when they traveled.  Rooms were expected to be neat, clean & tidy. But expectations about what you would find in your room were very limited.

You'll note that in these pictures these rooms had TV's.  Many motels were just getting TV's in the early 1960's.  TV's were expensive AND they were Black & White ONLY!.  Color TV's did not start appearing in most motel rooms until the early to mid 1970's.

The Clifwood Motel offered kitchenette units.  They were the rage in the 1960's.  Imagine traveling and being able to prepare your breakfast or dinner in your own room!  Kitchenettes started to fade away in the 1970's as most franchises at that time did not permit them.  The traveling public had the new fast food joints to visit along with popular local cafes.  Today we have microwaves, small refrigerators as popular room amenities.

Check the pictures and you'll see that this motel still had some "Cabin Courts".  Your own individual building was your unit.  Some motels had double cabin court units.  The cabin court design dates from the beginnings of road side motels in the 1930's.   The term "motel" did not come into common use until after World War II. Roadside accomodations were mostly known as Cabin Courts in these early times.

Take a look and imagine what staying in one of these "state of the art" rooms would be like.






Thanks for taking a look back. . . .

Henry Votel, Broker
Motels by Gudim - Since 1945
St. Paul, MN
651-426-1610